Murder Was The Ending For This Rags to Riches Romance
Review by Kim Cantrell
Vickie Loretha Carroll Moore was a single mother of two, working at the Liberty, Texas Dairy Queen to make ends meet when she met Marion Price Daniel, Jr.
Price was himself a divorced father, the son of former Texas Governor Marion Price Daniel, Sr., and the great-grandson of Sam Houston.
It raised more than a few eyebrows when Vickie and Price began dating, and even more when they wed in November 1976; just a few months following Vickie’s divorce from her first husband, Larry Moore.
It was a whirlwind romance that came to sudden halt just weeks after the couple exchanged their vows.
Despite troubles that brewed between the newlyweds, they would add two children to their brood of three from their previous marriages before the marriage came to a fatal end.
Vickie alleged Price was abusive and she killed him in self-defense. Price’s family alleged Vickie wasn’t happy with divorce settlements offered by her soon-to-be-ex-husband -often comparing his offers of support to that paid to his first wife – and she killed out of anger.
A police investigation wouldn’t provide any answers, only entertainment.
Combine wealth, power, and murder investigation and what you’re going to wind up with is a regular three ring circus.
And that’s exactly what became of the inquiry into the death of Marion Price, Jr.
Everybody formed an opinion (mine personally being that I believe Vickie did kill Price in anger, having a desire to never be poor again) and they proudly boasted their sides.
Want an ending that you wasn’t expecting? You’ll get it with Steve Salerno’s 1987 true crime book Deadly Blessings.
While written in a mundane tone, it’s a fascinating story nonetheless. Typically I’m not a fan of authors who tell every single little detail, but it’s absolutely necessary here.
I recommend reading Deadly Blessings by Steve Salerno or catching an airing of the made-for-tv movie Bed of Lies on Lifetime for information on the case that was a stepping stone for the battered women’s defense.
Ready to read it? Here’s where to get it:
Updates from this book:
Governor Price Daniel, Sr. passed away in August 1988. His lovely wife Jean Houston Baldwin Daniel left this world just four short years later in December 2002.
Franklin Baldwin Daniel followed a long standing tradition in his family by becoming a member of the Texas Bar in 2005. Looking very much like his father, he is now associated with the Houston law firm of Essmyer, Tritico & Rainey.
Thomas Houston Daniel, Price Daniel Jr.’s oldest son from his first marriage, is also an attorney and living in the Austin area.
